


Defying Instinct

by Himitsu_Uragiri



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Animal Traits, Canon Compliant, M/M, Predator/Prey, Shuutoku High (Freeform)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 03:36:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16694674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himitsu_Uragiri/pseuds/Himitsu_Uragiri
Summary: For over a thousand years, humans had evolved from their primal natures to tread the earth on two feet. While their outlooks resembled each other, they had not forgotten their true forms.As a proud wolf, Shintarou had not thought much about the others around him. That was, until he met Takao Kazunari, an energetic, annoying, dependable, and special existence. An existence that, somehow, held many secrets.





	Defying Instinct

“Great work today, Shin-chan!” The bubbly voice came from a raven haired youth who held a towel in one hand and a can of oshiruko in the other. Both items were offered to the taller male to whom he initially addressed in that endearing sobriquet.

“Thank you.” The taller male lowered his head slightly as a gesture to express his gratitude.

When the items were gladly accepted, the shorter of the pair’s expression blossomed into a bright smile, as though he had received a rare gift himself. To a certain extent he did, for the proud wolf before him rarely displayed such unreserved gestures, believing them to be a sign of feebleness.

“You’re welcome!”

“It’s getting late.”

“I’ll help you clean up! Hey, do you wanna have ramen from that uncle by the corner near the post office?”

“It’s unhealthy to eat something so heavy at night.” Out of habit, Shintarou chastised.

“Aww, just once in a while? Come on,” the black haired boy whined pitifully.

“Hmph, only for tonight.”

The hour was late, only the two youths stood in the otherwise empty, echoing basketball court. In spite of that, neither the silence nor the lack of people in the usually crowded court was awkward to them. On the contrary, they stood next to each other, neither too close nor too far apart, but at a perfect distance where they could feel the other’s presence and hear the steady inhale and exhale of every breath. From the point of view of an outsider, surely the pair would appear to be wrapped in a silken mantle of intimacy, a fondness shared between two people that made others too ashamed to intrude upon. In many ways they were; an inseparable pair famed throughout as the light and shadow of Shuutoku High’s basketball team.  

However, in the privacy of Shintarou’s personal thoughts, he did not consider the raven haired male as his shadow. Takao was his partner, someone he saw as his equal. Though, there was still truth in the title they were unceremoniously given - Shintarou would not feel complete without the irreplaceable energetic presence of Takao by his side.

Ever so gradually, the black haired youth had, as the mysterious mycelium, worked unseen in the quietness away from the limelight. The spore embedded itself in a secluded place within him and grew, spreading its roots far and wide until it had enveloped his entire being without waiting for neither his approval nor acknowledgement. Shintarou had seen it in a documentary before, how a mycelium colony, soft as a feather white mantle had blanketed the earth of an entire forest in America. Mostly hidden beneath, many would easily overlook its presence, but occasionally, its delicate white fingers would crawl to the surface and make itself visible as though to remind them of their presence. Takao’s existence was much like that, he believed.

The Generation of Miracles had made a name for themselves in the basketball community, outshining every other player that would have otherwise stood out as star players. The number 10 the Hawk eyed boy wore would go unnoticed in a crowded room of basketball players, but on the court - the place where his eyes would shine the brightest - he became a worthy adversary to be wary of.

More than that, the emotions embedded in the roots of Shintarou’s very being had spread deeper than he expected.

Four seasons had come to pass since their first encounter; a day he could vividly recall with a hint of irritation yet fondness. It was the morning when Oha-Asa had made a grandiose claim as she wisely announced the whims of the stars overhead of Cancer’s fate in her deep, mellifluous voice like that of a sage.

“Cancers, take heed of all whom you meet, for on this day you will encounter someone who will become very dear to you.”

There was doubt on his mind then, his broken bonds and strained memories from Teikou High still fresh. However, Oha-Asa was never wrong. The boy whom Shintarou met that fine morning and thought of as nothing but an individual with an exaggerated cadence to his step became an existence so dear to him that he knew not of what to do with his own overflowing emotions.

In the short, yet long period - a time easily altered by varying perceptions of the mind - of a year, he became well acquainted with Takao’s personality and antics. It came to the point where Shintarou was able to predict his words before they even had a chance to leave his lips. In the court, he could feel Takao’s reassuring presence without having to look in his direction, and simply through the thought of it, the ball would fall perfectly into his hands. The bond he shared with Takao was stronger and more profound that any he ever had, not even with the Generation of Miracles despite having once been a pack.

He knew everything about Takao, and Takao was his, a fact that made the alpha wolf in him rumble with pride.

Such naive thoughts unfortunately, were shattered by a simple question casually spelled out into the air on an orange evening after basketball practice.

“Hey, Ace-sama, you’re the closest to Takao right?” An underclass-man who had neither a redeeming feature nor skills asked in a passing manner.

“Hmph, naturally.”

“Then do you know what his true form is?”

Shintarou adjusted his spectacles, lips ready to form an answer when a belated realisation dawned on him, abruptly halting both his speech and action. It was the revelation, or rather, the lack of knowledge that shocked him for he did not know the answer to such a mundane enquiry.

“I- if it is something he does not wish to discuss openly, then it is not my place to say.” Eventually he replied in an obviously awkward fashion.

“In other words, you don’t know either.” The other boy eyed him suspiciously.

“Well that’s a dead end.”

The wolf inside him growled a warning, one which went unnoticed by the underclass-men who were beginning to gather in a circle of their own, reminiscent of politicians discussing a topic of most importance that was of benefit to no one but for their own interest.

“Takao-senpai is a tough guess. He doesn’t really show it like Miyaji-senpai.”

“He’s not obvious like Midorima-senpai either.”

“H- what does that mean?” Shintarou grumbled, feeling put-off.

“Haha, no offence senpai, but it’s not hard to see you’re the alpha wolf here.”

“And it’s not like we mind,” another chimed in.

“We’re just curious about Takao. I mean, aren’t you? You’re the one who’s closest to him.”

“Or could it be… Takao-senpai feels out of place? Most of us here are in the predator and beasts family. Maybe he’s just another monkey like most people are? Then it wouldn’t be hard for him to control his animal traits.”

Their conference resumed but Shintarou’s mind had long wandered off into a white washed room of its own, contemplating the issue in solitude. For over a thousand years, humans had evolved from their primal natures to tread the earth on two feet. While their outlooks resembled each other, they had not forgotten their true forms. They were once beasts who wandered the plains before the development of civilisation. They were the predators and preys of old who formed a truce to live in peace. The most common animal that made the bulk of the race were the monkeys - the first animals to take the human structure - but Shuutoku High was an old and prominent school where many beasts attended. Their numbers were unusually high especially in the competitive sports clubs.

Shintarou had never questioned it before as his previous school, Teikou High, held a high percentage of beasts including the members of the Generation of Miracles themselves. The chance of Takao being a beast as well was highly unlikely and he could only wonder how it felt to be surrounded by predators everyday without being one of them.

The truth of the matter bothered Shintarou greatly, like a stubborn mole, it dug itself deeper into the farthest crevices of his mind, creating a complex network of uncertainty, doubt, and ugly emotions under the surface of his conscious mind. So elaborate were the system of tunnels that it threatened to collapse. It crept into him, as though he had been infected by germs, and became lost in an endless labyrinth beneath the earth. The question lingered as a bitter after taste in his mouth, unpleasant and difficult to rid of. Shintarou mulled over the issue for a lengthy time, long after practice had ended and even when he parted ways with the source of his troubled musings.

“Good bye Shin-chan. See you tomorrow.” The raven haired male bid farewell, his handsome features painted in concern, silver eyes reflecting light as lonesome stars did.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, he scrutinised Takao for a full minute as though by merely observing the object in question, the answers would conveniently present themselves.

“Shin-chan?” With furrows between his eyebrows, he inquired with a cock of his head to the side.

“...It’s nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

“O… see ya. Good night Shin-chan.”

He wondered what form Takao’s true soul took.

From the very beginning, Takao was like a book whose pages were scribbled with colourful descriptions and splendid illustrations without revealing its secrets. Every page was a thrill to read, every sentence able to resonate to the core. Yet, it was a book that guarded its secrets well, written in a cryptic language, notes hidden in translucent ink, and secret paintings on the fore-edge. Takao was scentless and maintained a perfect human form, never once showing even a glimpse of an animal trait. It was a truly commendable feat not many could mimic as it required constant control over one’s own emotions and state of mind.

It made it all the more curious, for a person to go to such lengths to hide their true soul. It occurred to Shintarou how they often had study sessions together but not once had the shorter male stayed overnight despite the more than amiable invitations from Shintarou’s mother who held a fondness for him. Even during Shuutoku’s training camp at the inn, the raven haired boy left no breadcrumbs to follow.

Constantly thinking of matters he never thought of before, Shintarou fell, as a foolish insect would, to the endless spiral of a web of his own design. More than curiosity, Shintarou felt an ache spread from his chest, cold claws creeping up to grip his neck and stop his breath. The fact that they might not be as close as he thought they were strangled him.

Shintarou was determined to find out the truth. The opportunity presented itself sooner than he had expected. The favourable set of circumstances was not of his doing, but it was a path that would lead to the discovery of his heart’s desires, as though fate stood by his side nodding its approval while working its mysterious ways.

The quiet morning began without Takao, for the boy had called in sick, unable to attend school. Concerned as he was, there was little Shintarou could do in reality. More and more, he came to realise how little he truly knew of his partner and closest friend. He was aware of the fact that the boy lived on his own, but as for the exact whereabouts or reasoning behind it he knew not of. The thoughts that swirled around in the messy kaleidoscope of an artist’s palette reached no conclusion, his questions and doubts merely sprouting up with the frequency of persistent weeds.

Despite his unfortunate lack of knowledge, Shintarou received a unanimous vote by everyone in class including the teacher, as the one who was the closest to the black haired boy and was thus bestowed upon with the task to deliver handouts to said boy. As a result, Shintarou found himself in front of a shabby apartment complex that appeared on the verge of collapse, its peeling, feeble looking walls barely able to hold its own weight. Climbing up the rickety stairs was a danger in and of itself, every step creaking a loud protest under his weight.

Nevertheless, there he stood, awkward in his crisply ironed school uniform in front of a run down door that had forgotten its own colour. The name on the nameplate revealed familiar looking characters, ones he could write with his eyes closed. Feeling oddly out of place, he took a deep breath and was about to knock on the decaying wood of the door when he heard a crash from within the apartment.

“Takao?” He called once and waited in apprehension. When naught but silence greeted him, he called again.

“Takao, it’s me. Are you okay? Open the door.”

A moment of hushed trepidation came to pass, the eerie creep of fear crawled under his skin and whispered nightmares into his ears. It was fear not of the unknown, but for the worse possible scenario; a burglar, a crime scene, a murder. Shintarou’s ridiculous conclusions compelled his body into action and to leave his reservations behind.

“Takao, I’m coming in!”

It was not a difficult feat to force an entry, the aged wood easily yielding to even the slightest exertion of force.

Shintarou stormed into the apartment, forgetting both manners and custom to remove his shoes in his blind haste. Only one thought coursed through his mind and veins - to ascertain Takao’s safety.

In the still air of the room, the glitter of dust floated lazily past the single ray of sunlight that rudely streamed in from the slightly parted curtains without invitation. The barely furnished room revealed little about its owner with neither a magazine nor a forlorn sock lying on its side in sight. On that slow evening, the invisible voice of fate whispered a secret into his ear.

A glass cup lay shattered on the floor by the bedside, its translucent contents spilling out in an uneven shape. The inhabitant nestled on the bed was in a dishevelled state, black hair tousled in every direction of the compass, silver eyes clouded and unfocused, cheeks tinted with red. The baggy shirt he wore was rumpled and slipped down over a thin shoulder, revealing the path of a trickle of sweat as it ran down from his prominent collar bones and disappeared past the collar. Takao was the very image of sick, however it wasn’t his unsightly state that shocked him. Shintarou stared, unabashed, at the soft curve of a pair of long fluffy ears drooping by the sides of the boy’s messy black hair. The tips were perfectly rounded, curling in slightly where it met his shoulder. They were a pair of ears that could not be mistaken for anything but those of a lop-eared bunny.

The sickly boy sniffed once, and after a five second delay, gawked at Shintarou, reminiscent of a deer caught in headlights.

“Sh-Shin-chan?!” He cried out in a raspy voice, sounding like a tone deaf singer.

“I…” Shintarou took a moment to gather his scrambled thoughts. He ushered what he considered irrelevant and unimportant away and chased after a suitable reason for his being where he was.

“The teacher asked me to give you some handouts. I also bought supplies I thought you might need.”

Shintarou spoke as he closed the distance between them and took note of the way the shorter male flinched minutely as he approached. He set down the plastic bag of things he had especially picked out for Takao by the bed, careful to avoid the broken glass and kept a respectable distance.

“There’s jelly inside and some medication. Have you eaten yet?

“I-ah… not yet…”

“Hmph, I had figured as much so I bought some bread on the way as well. Take them and the medicine, then go to sleep.”

“Okay…”

Bending down, Shintarou began to pick up the pieces of the broken glass. The rustle of sheets pierced the silent air causing him to look up. A pair of diluted silver eyes stared at him, the long ears no longer visible.

“You don’t have to do that, you’ll hurt your fingers.” He spoke softly, his voice still asleep.

“It’s fine. Go back to bed.”

After cleaning up the mess as best as he could, Shintarou decided it was time to depart. As much as he hated being apart from Takao, his presence obviously caused the other discomfort. It was for the best if he left the boy to recuperate on his own.

“I’ll… get going now. Get well soon, Takao.”

He bid his farewell but lingered for a moment longer. There was much he wanted to ask, but the pale complexion on the usually energetic face he knew dried his voice.

“Rest well… I’m sorry for barging in.”

“Mnn… thank you… and sorry…”

Shintarou did not question what the apology was for.

Their history was a common story of strife before concession. Prey were once hunted to near extinction, causing the collapse of the entire food chain and life cycle. There were more hungry beasts on the prowl compared to the dwindling number of scuttering prey hidden in the bushes. Knowing such a precarious tip in the scale would jeopardise the whole ecosystem, the animals chose the path of evolution and learned new ways to live. Laws were put in place, protecting those that needed to be sheltered, and provided for those who needed aid. Over time, their evolution lead to further classifications, some predators chose to shed their fangs and claws, becoming what was known as domesticated predators. The term 'beast' was retained for those who kept a pure heritage. On the other hand, safeguarded by the rules, certain species of prey began to flourish in numbers, however, a select few remained an endangered species. Rabbits were once the most coveted of prey in history before the change, and they remained elusive even after. A rabbit outside of its protected settlement was almost unheard of.

In history, of all the prey species, wolves had hunted rabbits the most.

The following day was void of Takao’s presence. He only returned two days after his visit, face still slightly flushed but otherwise healthy enough to resume his daily life as per usual. Shintarou was glad for his quick recovery but soon encountered another troubling matter.

“M-mornin’ Shin-chan.” His usual cheery greeting sliced the air awkwardly, the boy himself shifting his line of sight in every other direction but Shintarou’s.

“Hey Takao, good to see you back. Didn’t think you’d catch a cold in spring so easily.”

“Hahaha, what’s that about? I’m not immune to everything.”

The appearance of a classmate seemed to bring a positive reaction out of Takao, the boy exhaling an air of pressure as his lips curved into a light smile, gladly walking in the opposite direction when others called for him. The day passed in a similar fashion, Takao blatantly avoiding him without even his usual witty tact. He could think of many reasons as to why but one thought stood out, rudely shoving other excuses aside with brute force. The wolf inside him paced around impatiently in a confined cage, shoulders hunched and brooding.

Shintarou himself wasn’t entirely sure himself of what he expected from Takao, nor what he wanted from him. All he understood was how being apart from him made him unhappy, made his wolf howl a lonesome cry into the night. They were partners, he trusted Takao both on and off the court. He was someone he allowed into his heart.

Thus, he cornered the unwilling boy behind the school.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“Eh? No… such a thing…” Silver eyes darted to the side, looking at a stone on the ground as though it was of great interest.

“Don’t lie to me.” Rarely, Shintarou allowed his emotions to take the reins, letting his animal form slip.

“I’m… sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

Takao merely pressed himself closer to the wall, a vain attempt to put distance between them. Shintarou took another step forward, his body easily encasing the smaller male.

“Do you fear me?”

Takao flinched audibly, biting his lips. He appeared to be deep in troubled thoughts. Shintarou quietly observed him, as he often did on certain occasions when his partner’s attention was somewhere else. He had learned to read the meaning behind his gestures, the silent indications hidden in the undulations of his voice, and the many smiles he carried around with him.

The expression on his beloved face clearly revealed the turmoil within, and Shintarou hated the fact that he was the cause of it. An invisible hand gripped his heart, a pain he felt vividly.

He took a step back.

“I never wanted you to make such an expression. At least, not because of me.”

“Eh?”

“I won’t reveal your secret, I promise you.”

Finally, the silver eyes he grew so fond of looked up at him. They were wide and curious, and Shintarou swore he could see the speckles of stars in them.

“I… trust Shin-chan. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know…”

The boy smiled soft as a cloud, so beautifully that flower buds would bloom just to see his face.

Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his right hand to brush against his warm cheek.

“I would never hurt you.”

__Nor allow anyone else to._ _

* * *

 

“Takao.”

“Hm?”

The pair were in Shintarou’s home, the warm house void of its usual inhabitants. Shintarou sat on the couch with Takao draped luxuriously across his lap, reading the latest release of monthly basketball. Takao had grown increasingly comfortable in his presence and while he was glad for such advancements in their relationships, one matter greatly bothered him.

Lately, when Takao was relaxed - as he was currently - his true soul would slip. The adorable lop ears drooped softly, following the gentle curve of his head, the tips brushing his shoulders. His small tail was short with a white tip, and it would twitch on occasions.

Shintarou wanted nothing more than to touch them.

“Can I… can I touch your ears?”

Expecting the rabbit to be startled by his request, Shintarou was mutely relieved when the boy on his lap easily gave his content without a hint of hesitance.

“Mn, just don’t pull on them.”

“Ah… I won’t.”

Tentatively, he reached out to stroke the fuzzy ears. They were softer than he imagined and invitingly warm. A smile made its way onto his lips and Shintarou closed his eyes to enjoy the afternoon with his beloved rabbit.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> //huffs  
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVOURITE BOY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD <3  
> So, kinda sorta only started writing this yesterday hence the super rushed ending and mostly unbetaed ahahaha. i am drowning in self-loathing because of it but ehhh time constraint. Been busy with uni assignments plus club activities (why do i sign up for so much).  
> i always wanted to try writing a rabbit Takao, and i'm kinda disappointed in myself for not going all out with my ideal descriptions of soft fuzzy ears and Midorima just being enamored by them zzz. Anyways, hope you enjoyed~


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